Biology and Magic
by kats96
Summary: When magic interrupts and alters biology, Artemis and Holly find themselves in an unthinkable situation, one that will change their lives forever. (Warning: Mpreg.)
1. Chapter 1

It was Butler's job to be observant. As a bodyguard, noticing anything out of place could mean the difference between life and death for his principal, Artemis Fowl II. In this case, the out of place thing was Artemis himself. Lately, Butler noticed dramatic changes in the teen's disposition. He was moody and irritable, often snapping at those around him one minute and breaking down in tears the next. Very unlike him, considering Artemis tended to be well in control of his emotions at all times. Butler had tried to ask Artemis about his sudden mood swings, but every time the manservant brought it up, Artemis denied anything was wrong and locked himself in his room.  
This had gone on long enough. Today was the day Butler was going to take matters into his own hands. His plan: to stand vigil outside Artemis's room and confront him when he left. It was for his own good; if something was bothering the young Fowl, as his paid protector, Butler felt he deserved to know.

Artemis woke that morning feeling as he had many previous mornings: nauseous. As of late, he found himself spending much time in the bathroom each morning. Some mornings were better than others. This was not one of them.

He lurched into the adjoining bathroom and took up his position in front of the toilet, a position that was far too familiar these days. And like every morning, as he retched his insides out, he wondered what was wrong with him. Why did he feel like this? Was there something wrong? But what _could_ be wrong? What type of illness could he possibly have that incapacitated him each morning, but left him unscathed for the majority of the day?

He made his way back to his room and summoned the little bit of strength he had left to remain standing instead of falling onto his bed again. He couldn't laze around all the time; he had work to do. He wasn't about to let ill feelings keep him from his plans. A trip to the doctor may be in order though if this impacted his life any more…

Artemis slowly dressed and opened the door to his room, only to find it blocked by Butler.

"Artemis, is there anything wrong?"

Artemis was taken aback. "Wrong, Butler? What's wrong is that you seem to be hovering over me. I realize it is your duty to protect me, but I do need some space. And some privacy."

"Artemis, I heard… Are you ill?"

"And now you're eavesdropping? Really, Butler…"

"Artemis, stop avoiding my questions." The manservant widened his stance and crossed his arms against his chest. "Tell me what's wrong."

Artemis tried to squeeze past the bodyguard as he assured him, "There is nothing wrong with me. I am perfectly fine."

"Don't lie to me, Artemis!" Butler yelled. This surprised both of them. Butler rarely got upset, and even less frequently did he get upset at Artemis.

"Artemis," Butler said, lowering his voice to its usual gravely level. "I have tried expressing my concerns for your health before, but this time, I think it would be wise for you to listen. I feel this has gone on long enough, and a trip to the doctor is in store, just to ensure this is nothing serious." The look Butler gave him certainly was.

"Very well," Artemis sighed. "But only to put your mind at ease, old friend. There is so much work I'd rather be doing than wasting my time on your little doctor's visit."

"It's not a waste of time when it could very well save your life," Butler retorted.

Artemis found it very hard to believe the trip to the doctor's _wasn't _a waste of time. For all the time he spent there getting poked and prodded and scanned, all they had been given was a theory. A hormone imbalance, the doctor had suggested. An ultrasound of his abdomen had come back showing a lump, but the doctor assured him it wasn't a tumor and was most likely a cyst. He'd written out a prescription for medication to balance his hormone levels and told Artemis to check back if he worsened or noticed any changes in the lump/cyst.

Butler was equally disgusted. "The best doctor in Ireland, and he doesn't even know what's wrong. Just guesses what _might _be wrong."

"Perhaps it's because there is nothing wrong with me," Artemis said pointedly as he crumpled up the prescription for drugs he knew he didn't need. "You can't diagnose something that isn't there."

"Don't start with me, Artemis," Butler warned.

"You heard the doctor, Butler. He couldn't find anything noticeably wrong with me. Can't you drop this?"

"No, Artemis, I can't. I've known you your whole life, so I can tell when something is off. And something _is _off. I think maybe we should consider going belowground to see if maybe it's something fairy-related. I've noticed that Holly's been around an awful lot, and she might have been carrying something that could be the cause of all this."

"You've put a lot of thought into this theory," Artemis noted.

Butler inclined his head toward the exam rooms. "You were back there a while, so I threw around some other possibilities. Can you at least humor me and call Holly about this?"

Artemis considered it. He'd actually thought of the same possibility himself. Maybe the reason human doctors couldn't explain his symptoms was because he was suffering from a fairy disease.

"Alright," Artemis conceded. "I'll call her. But if this, too, fails to find anything wrong, will you please allow me to make my health my concern and not yours?"

Butler grunted, which Artemis took to mean yes. Once they were safely buckled into the Bentley, he turned around the ring on his middle finger and called Holly.

Artemis was growing impatient. He had been forced to endure similar examinations and tests to his previous ones aboveground, and now he was forced to sit and wait for Dr. Blazel to come back with what was most likely going to be a similar diagnosis to the one he received earlier. To put it simply, the déjà vu doctors' visits had lost any luster they might have had.

The door opened and Dr. Blazel entered, carrying a folder and a stack of papers. Artemis followed the doctor's movements as he placed the folder and papers on his chair and turned to face his patient.

"Artemis," he said.

The boy interrupted him. "Let me guess: you aren't sure what's wrong with me, but it might be a hormone imbalance. Been there, heard that, Doctor."

"Yes and no," Dr. Blazel answered, unperturbed by Artemis's rudeness. "You do show some levels of hormone imbalance, but I have determined a reason for it." He took a step closer and seemed to brace himself for the news he was about to deliver.

Artemis shifted on the exam table, making the white paper crinkle beneath him. "What is it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You mentioned that aboveground you were given an ultrasound that isolated the presence of a lump in your abdomen but that the doctors could not say what it was. Well, we ran an ultrasound through our fairy machine and got drastically different results."

Artemis felt like the air had escaped from the room. His lungs burned, desperate for air, but he couldn't breathe. He blinked away the black dots that were forming around the edges of his vision, trying to focus on the fairy doctor.

Dr. Blazel's eyes locked on his. "What I am about to tell you is going to sound absolutely impossible, but believe me. We studied the results again and again, and there is simply no other explanation. Artemis, you're pregnant."


	2. Chapter 2

Artemis just stared at the doctor, his mouth half-open in surprise. "I'm… I'm what?" he finally managed to say. Surely he had heard the doctor wrong. He thought the doctor had said…

"You're pregnant," Dr. Blazel repeated.

Nope, he had heard him loud and clear. An invisible punch landed hard against Artemis's stomach, and he gasped for breath. "H…How…?" he choked out.

"It's very rare, but there have been a few cases of this occurring," Dr. Blazel said. "You see, in the event of fertilization during copulation between a male human and a female fairy, the fairy's body recognizes that the resulting fetus would be part human and therefore would be too large for her to safely carry. So her body creates a magical barrier that forces the fertilized egg away, and in some cases, into the male. The magic then creates an amniotic sac around the egg to house the developing fetus and provide nutrients for development, and that sac attaches itself to the male's abdomen."

"So that lump…?" Artemis said.

Dr. Blazel nodded. "The lump is the sac containing the developing fetus, yes. I found all the research I could on this if you'd like to look through it." He picked up the stack of papers from his chair and handed it to Artemis. "It isn't much, but at least it's something. If you want to involve the mother, I have a family room available that you may use to discuss your options. I'll be here if either of you have questions or concerns."

"Thank you, Doctor," Artemis said, his voice coming out monotone and mechanical. He didn't care. Dr. Blazel gave him a sad smile and left.

Artemis sat there, flipping through the information, scanning it, but not reading it. The few words he managed to focus on got caught up in the maelstrom of thoughts whirling around his brain, swept away and replaced with the only word he could think: pregnant.

Finally, he forced himself to get up and make his way slowly back to the waiting room, where he found Butler crouching uncomfortably in the far corner.

Butler saw him enter and stood, though the stooped position was even more uncomfortable. He could see the dazed look on Artemis's face and knew something was wrong. He uncharacteristically opened his arms to hug his principal, and Artemis uncharacteristically fell into them, sobbing gently into his bodyguard's shirt. Butler found himself blinking back tears of his own as his brain conjured diagnosis after diagnosis. But he couldn't cry. Especially not here, not now. He needed to be the solid rock he always was. For Artemis. Artemis desperately needed someone to support him through whatever this was.

They stood in that embrace, unmoving, as the minutes ticked by. Artemis's sobs died down into quiet hiccups that eventually faded away, and only then did he back out of the embrace and meet Butler's gaze.

"Butler," he croaked through a throat closed off by un-cried tears. "This is going to sound absolutely crazy and impossible, but trust me, it's the truth. I'm pregnant."

Butler looked for a sign that Artemis was lying, but all he saw was truth and pain in the teen's bloodshot eyes. He had so many questions, but the only one he could form was, "How?"

Artemis gave him an abbreviated version of Dr. Blazel's explanation. "He gave me information about it," Artemis said, handing Butler the stack. "From what I could tell, it's mostly just records of previous cases of this situation."

"So is Holly…?" Butler asked.

"Yes," Artemis responded brusquely. "Who else would the mother be?"

"I didn't know. I didn't even know you and Holly were…" Butler decided it would be best if he let the subject drop before their situation became even more uncomfortable and awkward. Plus, it wasn't any of his business to know what the relationship between Artemis and Holly encompassed. It was his life; Artemis was an adult now.

_Barely an adult_, a voice in Butler's head reminded him. Fresh out of childhood, only to be faced with raising a child of his own.

"So what happens now?" Butler said finally, breaking the wall awkward silence that had surrounded them.

Artemis looked up. "Hmm?" How long had Butler been talking to him? He hadn't heard anything outside of the thoughts swirling around his brain.

"I asked you what happens now."

"Oh. Well, I guess I should call Holly. See if I can get her to come down here. This isn't something you can talk about over the phone."

"If you don't mind, Artemis, I think I'll go for a walk. To stretch my legs and… think through some things." It was obvious what "things" Butler needed to think through, but Artemis admired his attempt at normalizing the situation.

"Go ahead," Artemis said. Butler gave him a nod and ducked out of the clinic.

Artemis twisted his ring around and stared at it, unable to make the connection. Had it really just been a few hours ago that he was calling Holly to schedule this appointment, the appointment that had just brought his world crashing down around him? He sighed. This was likely the hardest phone call he would ever make. Assuming he could bring himself to make it…

Holly Short was not in the mood for a phone call from Artemis in the middle of a stressful day of work, a fact she made very clear to him when she answered the call.

"Holly, can you… can you please come down to the clinic? There's… there's something we need to… to… discuss."

"Artemis, I'm working. Can't it wait?"

There was a long pause before Artemis replied, "No, Holly. It… it can't. I… I really need you… I need you to come down here. Now."

Holly thought she heard a tremor in Artemis's voice. "Artemis, what's wrong? What did the doctor say?"

"I… I can explain everything if you come…"

She didn't let him finish, responding, "I'll be right there." She disconnected the call, flummoxed at how… off… Artemis seemed. The normally well-articulate Mud Boy had stumbled over his words, as if he couldn't find the right ones to use.

And if Artemis refused to tell her what was wrong over the phone, it was serious. She broke out into a desperate dash to the clinic.


	3. Chapter 3

Artemis wasn't expecting Holly to burst in as dramatically as she did, and his unpreparedness threw him off-guard.

"Okay, I'm here," Holly said, a bit out of breath. "What's going on?"

"Did you run all the way here from Police Plaza?" Artemis asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Why? You sounded worried, so I thought I should hurry. What did the doctor say?"

"Perhaps we should go somewhere private. Dr. Blazel has a family room he has offered for our use to discuss…"

"Discuss what, Artemis?" Holly was getting annoyed.

Artemis didn't answer and instead began walking away from her. She scurried after him.

He led her to the room and shut the door behind them. Holly looked around at the furniture: a small couch, a coffee table, two armchairs. Artemis made his way to the couch and motioned for her to sit next to him.

"I'll stand," she said, leaning against the closed door and crossing her arms, daring him to argue.

He didn't. Instead, he dropped the bombshell.

Holly just stared at him before doubling over into a fit of giggles. "Oh, gods, that was great! I didn't know you had it in you to pull off such an elaborate joke! How did you keep a straight face through all of this? You had me really worried that something was seriously wrong…" Holly noticed Artemis hadn't reacted. "Joke's up, Arty. You can drop the act." Still no response. "Artemis, the joke is over. Say something."

"This isn't a joke, Holly," he said quietly, folding his hands in his lap.

Holly's smile was slowly wiped from her face as the truth of Artemis's words hit her. "Not a joke… So you really are…?"

Artemis nodded, dropping his gaze to his folded hands, unable to look the elf in the eye.

"Oh… gods…" Holly found herself gripping the doorframe for support.

"Dr. Blazel said he is here to answer any questions we have about our options or the procedures…"

"What do you mean, options?"

"Whether we terminate the pregnancy or allow it to continue."

Some strength flowed back through Holly's veins, and she stood straight. "We can't terminate the pregnancy," she said adamantly.

Artemis looked up. "What?"

"We can't terminate it. We're talking about a life, Artemis. I joined the LEP to help save lives. I'm not about to give the go-ahead to end a helpless one."

"Holly, these types of pregnancies aren't natural," Artemis argued. "A lot can, and does, go wrong. It's dangerous for both the baby and the father. Out of the few documented cases Dr. Blazel found, none of them ended with both father and child surviving."

"I have magic," Holly said. "How many times have I saved you and Butler and your family from death? I could even call up No.1 for his warlock powers." She fixed Artemis with an unyielding stare. "We are not aborting this baby. We've been through worse situations than this one. And we can make it through this."

"But are we keeping the baby? Because I don't think I'm ready for that kind of responsibility."

"Well, it's not like we could put it up for adoption," Holly said. "A human orphanage could put the People at risk if humans found out there was a part human/part fairy baby in their midst. And no fairy would adopt a child with Mud Man blood. No offense."

"None taken."

"I can help," Holly told him, joining him on the couch. "I'll help you take care of the baby."

"But what about your job? And your life down here?"

Holly shrugged. "We'll figure it out. All I know is, I will do anything and everything I can to help you with this. I can move into Fowl Manor for a while to help you."

"What if that's not possible?" Artemis said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… How am I supposed to look my parents in the eyes and tell them their son is pregnant with a human-fairy hybrid?"

"I can be there when you tell them, if you want," Holly offered. "Or I can tell them for you."

"It's not that, it's… My parents have been wary of the People ever since the Spelltropy incident. My father especially. Mother is more understanding and knows that most fairies are not evil, power-crazed criminals like Opal Koboi. She reminds Father that without your help, he wouldn't even be alive, but he refuses to give in. He never failed to let me know he did not approve of my fairy-related friendships and frequent visits belowground. He has only recently become more accepting of the People. This could ruin all of that. All of the progress he's made, gone. I'm afraid once he finds out, it will be as if all his fears about fairies will have been confirmed."

Artemis lifted his head, and Holly could see the fear in his eyes. "What if this is what pushes him over the edge? What if this makes him lose faith in all fairies, and even worse, me? What if he kicks me out? What will I do? Where will I go?"

Holly placed a hand on Artemis's knee. "You don't know how he'll react. And if he doesn't approve, maybe your mother can convince him otherwise."

"But what if she can't? He's stubborn. Once he has an opinion, it is nearly impossible to get him to change it. What will I do then?"

"Then you can stay with me. I told you, I'm going to be here for you. We'll get through this together."

"Well, assuming a best-case scenario and my parents are understanding and let us stay in Fowl Manor," Artemis said, "how do I deal with this? You can only hide pregnancy for so long. I won't be able to leave the manor. If people see me, they'll talk, and we can't have something like this spreading."

"Artemis, you rarely go out anyway," Holly pointed out. "What's this really about?"

Artemis sighed. "I'm scared, Holly. I've never been so afraid of something before in my life. And that's saying something, considering I've faced a pack of hungry trolls."

"I'm scared, too, Artemis," she said.

"How can you be?" Artemis shouted, leaping up from the couch. "This isn't happening to _you_. It isn't your body, and it isn't your life on the line. This is all on _me_. Don't try to tell me that you understand what I'm going through and how I'm feeling, because you don't. And you say now that you'll do anything you can to help, but just wait. Once this becomes too much to handle, you have the ability to walk away and never look back. I can _never_ walk away. I am stuck with this, and it's your fault!"

Ordinarily, Holly would have fought back, screaming louder and cutting deeper. But she knew better than to do that now. Artemis was in a precarious state, and it was best for her to tread lightly to avoid another outburst.

"Artemis," she said quietly. "I want you to use that famous brain of yours and think about what you just said and identify what was actually true. Yes, I don't know exactly what you're going through or how you feel about this. But you can't pin this whole thing on me, because we are both equally to blame for not being cautious, for assuming nothing like this would happen to us. And don't you dare think that I will walk away and make you face this on your own. You are carrying _our_ child, Artemis. And that means something to me."

Artemis turned away so Holly couldn't see the tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Holly stood and wrapped her arms around Artemis's waist.

"I know."

"So what do we do now?" Holly asked, her arms still around Artemis.

"I supposed we should inform Dr. Blazel of our decision," he replied.

Holly released him, though she felt a little weaker on her feet without him. "Okay," she said, watching him leave to track down the doctor. Once the door was shut behind him, she allowed herself a moment to completely break down, sobbing into her hands as they covered her face.

Then she regained her composure almost as quickly as it broke. She wouldn't dare let Artemis see her like this when he got back with the doctor.

Dr. Blazel entered first, trailed by Artemis. "Captain Short," he said, giving her a nod. He took a seat in one of the armchairs. "Artemis says the two of you have decided to see the pregnancy through."

"Yes," Holly responded. "We have."

"You do know there are many, many risks involved."

"We're aware. We have discussed this, and we are sticking to our decision."

"Well then, let us discuss where we go from here," Dr. Blazel said. "Since this pregnancy is more delicate than traditional ones, I will see you more frequently. For the first six months, I'd like to see you every three weeks. After that, once every seven to ten days. Have you decided where you'll be living?"

"Not exactly," Artemis said. "I would like to stay aboveground if possible. If not, I will stay with Holly."

Dr. Blazel nodded. "Well, if you do stay aboveground, you will have to relocate to Haven for your last month. I want you to be close by if complications occur, since they are much more likely in the last month."

Holly looked up. "Complications?" she asked. "What kind of complications?"

"Well," Dr. Blazel said. "There was one case I found where the infant began to press against the sac, as if it were in utero and could be born naturally. Such a scenario could lead to damage to the sac, posing danger to the infant and the father, especially if amniotic fluid leaked out and entered nearby organs."

Holly regretted asking as she watched Artemis's pale face turn ashen. She wanted to stick to her morals, but she wasn't sure that she should. Was it worth putting Artemis through the stress, only to put his life in danger if something went awry? At the time, she felt so sure that there was no question of whether they continued the pregnancy or not. But as Dr. Blazel continued to rattle off potential complications, Holly saw more and more of the light in Artemis die.

She tuned back in to hear Dr. Blazel's attempt at easing their minds: "Of course, modern fairy technology far surpasses the technology available during these documented cases. I'm sure most of these scenarios could be avoided altogether."

Holly needed to direct the doctor to another topic, one that would get Artemis out of the frightened daze he was in now. "So how should we proceed from here? What can we do to ensure this pregnancy is safe and successful?" she asked.

"Well, the dangers increase the farther into the pregnancy you get, so as it progresses, I recommend as little activity as possible. I won't prescribe mandatory bed rest, per se, but I would definitely recommend a lot of rest, especially during the final month."

"That shouldn't be too hard for you, Artemis," Holly joked, jabbing him in the side. "You never were too much into activity."

"Ha ha," Artemis responded drily. He turned his attention back to the doctor. "What else do you recommend?"

"Information. Educate yourselves. Read through all the information I gave you. Search for your own. Understand what happened, what can happen, and what will happen. Ask me questions, or try to answer them for yourselves. That's the best advice I can give you." Dr. Blazel clasped his hands together. "I'll be honest. I have never dealt with one of these cases before. Nor do I know anyone who has. All I can do is figure out what others have done and use that information in the most advantageous way. Beyond that, I am as ignorant as the two of you as to what to do and what to expect."

"That fills me with such confidence, Doctor," Artemis said, and Holly couldn't suppress a smile. Even in the direst situation, Artemis managed to hold onto his sarcastic nature.

Dr. Blazel was unperturbed. "I'm not going to sit here and sugarcoat everything. I know that's not want you want, so I won't do it. I'm going to tell it like it is: I don't know how to deal with a male pregnancy. But I'm willing to learn as long as you are. We can learn together, and learn from each other." He looked from Artemis to Holly, then back to Artemis.

"Are you willing to learn?"

Holly felt for Artemis's hand as he felt for hers, and they collided and melted into each other, a small act of support. "I am," she said. "Artemis?"

The grip on her hand tightened as Artemis replied, "Yes."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Artemis shook his head. "No. Thank you, but this is something I need to do on my own." He squeezed Holly's hand once, then let his hand fall to his side. Slowly he made his way to his parents' bedroom. He stood in front of the closed door and stared, unable to lift his hand to knock.

He pictured them, his mother on her side of the bed, reading a novel, and his father on his side, flipping through a newspaper. How was he supposed to walk in and tell them he was…?

He couldn't even think the word. He'd pushed the thoughts out of his head every time they tried to enter, unable to cope with the reality of his situation. But he had to do this now, and the sooner he told them, the sooner he and Holly could plan their next move.

Artemis knocked once, tentatively, then again, louder this time. "Come in!" his mother's voice sang out.

Artemis made sure to tread carefully, avoiding the vine pattern on the floor. _Step on a vine, count to nine. _He knew it was foolish to believe in such superstitions, but still. The last thing he needed was bad luck.

His parents were as he imagined them. His father acknowledged him with a nod before returning his attention back to the newspaper. His mother, on the other hand, placed her thumb in her book and let the pages close around it, giving her son her full attention.

"You're home late," she noted. "Butler said you had something important to tell us."

Artemis nodded. "There _is_ something I need to tell you. Both of you," he said pointedly at his father, who begrudgingly folded his paper and set it on the table beside him. He waved at his son to speak.

Artemis took a deep breath. "Recently, I have not been feeling like myself. Perhaps you have noticed." Angeline gave a slight inclination of her head, undoubtedly recalling instances where Artemis had snapped at her or complained of ill feelings.

"Well, Butler convinced me to seek a medical opinion. When he was unsatisfied with the inconclusive results we were given, he suggested we go belowground, just to make sure I hadn't contracted a fairy disease, which, as we are all aware, can happen under certain circumstances."

Artemis Sr. sighed heavily at the reference to the Spelltropy incident. Angeline laid a hand on his forearm.

Artemis dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to look his parents in the eyes when he delivered the news. "The doctor in Haven, he found… I… I…" He closed his eyes and braced himself for the words he kept repeating to those he loved most yet seemed to be even harder to say each time.

"I'm pregnant," he said, his voice just above a whisper.

Silence. Then, Angeline's thumb slipped out from the pages of her book, which slid off the bed and onto the floor, starling all of them when it hit.

Artemis looked from parent to parent, gauging their reactions. His mother's face contorted in a mix of emotions, but his father sat stone-faced.

Finally, Angeline spoke. "Arty, how did this happen?"

"Holly's magic…" Artemis began.

"Of course!" his father exploded. "Of course it was the fairies and their magic! Our whole lives revolve around magic, and lately it seems to be leading to more harm than good. Look what it got us this time! Our son, our _son _is pregnant! How will they ruin our lives next, by taking our twins and surgically implanting wings on their backs and casting a hex on them, causing them to only speak in rhymes? Those fairies are pure evil through and through, the whole lot of them."

"Father, Holly's magic was just trying to protect her," Artemis protested. "Otherwise…"

"You know, I had almost come to accept the fairies," Artemis Sr. interrupted. "I trusted your judgment, so I thought I could learn to trust Holly at the very least. I know how fond of her you have grown, so I wanted to accept her. But now… Now I don't trust any of them. I can't even trust my own son's decision to associate with them."

"Father, you're making this out to be a big conspiracy theory," Artemis said, struggling to remain calm and in control. "Just because there have been several instances with maniacal fairies does not mean they are all bad. You of all people should know that, from all your past experiences with less than desirable individuals. You dealt with a wide range of thugs and crime lords. But just because there are some groups of bad people doesn't mean _all_ people are bad. The same goes for the fairies."

"I just don't think I can deal with this anymore," Artemis Sr. said quietly. "I thought that when I returned, our family could be normal, but we've become anything but. This is the last straw for me."

"Timmy," Angeline said. "You can't mean that. Holly saved your life. She saved all of our lives in one way or another, multiple times. Now you're going to turn your back on her and your son just because of something neither of them could control?" Angeline opened her arms to her son. "Come here, Arty."

Artemis embraced her, inhaling the smell of her perfume, the floral scent relaxing the panic threatening to overcome him.

"Timmy, your son needs our support. I am going to support Artemis and Holly through all of this. I may not understand or like these circumstances, but Artemis and Holly are the reason we are all here together. He never gave up or turned his back on us, and we are not going to do that to him."

Angeline's strong resolve seemed to seep into Artemis. He pulled away from her and went to stand by his father's side of the bed. "Do you remember when you were recovering and you asked me if I would take my chance to be a hero when the moment came? At the time, I didn't know the answer. But I found out through my time with the fairies that I _would_ take my chance to be a hero, even when there was nothing for me to gain. So I am asking you now, Father. Will you take _your_ chance to be a hero? This is it." He lowered his voice. "I need you," he said, hating how weak he sounded but knowing he could do nothing about it. "I need my father to help me through this. Please."

Artemis Sr. lifted his gaze to meet his son's pleading eyes. He sighed, his stony composure giving way to a small smile. "I've always wanted to be your hero," he said softly. "Although, I didn't think it would be at a time like this. But I am so proud of the hero you became to this family, and I hope I can be half that hero to you."

Artemis felt tears pricking at his eyes as he smiled back. "Thank you, Father," he said, wrapping his arms around him. It was the first time he had hugged his father, really hugged him, in a long time.

Artemis Sr. realized this too, and he held his son closer. "We'll get through this, son," he whispered. "It may take me a while to come to terms with it all, but I will try. And no matter what happens, I will support you."


	5. Chapter 5

**One Month Later**

**Fowl Manor**

Holly lay curled next to Artemis, a position she found herself in more and more frequently on her visits. The guest room was always made up for her, but she rarely spent any time in it. Most nights, she somehow ended up in Artemis's room, a silent agreement between the two of them that they liked it better this way.

"Artemis?" she said softly, not sure if he was still awake.

"Mmmhmm?" Barely awake, but awake nonetheless.

"You haven't said anything about tomorrow's appointment. We're going to see our child for the first time. Isn't that exciting?"

Artemis rolled over to face the elf, sighing, knowing it would be a while until he got to sleep. "Actually, Holly, it's terrifying," he said.

"Terrifying? How so?"

"Because… Because seeing the baby will make this real. Right now, it just kind of feels like it's not actually happening. I can pretend everything is normal. Ever notice how we don't talk about it? My family doesn't talk about it, either. Ever since I told my parents and they told the twins, no one has mentioned it since. They're denying it, so I am too."

Holly gaped at him. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Did you ever think that maybe it's difficult for them to discuss because they don't know how to talk about it with you, not that they don't want to admit this is real? Honestly… You know what I think?"

"Please, tell me what you think. I am always fascinated by everything you have to say," Artemis said drily.

Holly ignored the sarcasm. "I think you're being childish," she said. "You think that if you ignore this, it'll go away. Newsflash: it's not going away. You're pregnant. Get over it. Man up and deal with it." Holly's voice kept rising as she got increasingly more agitated. "That's the problem with you, Artemis. You're great at solving any intellectual challenge thrown your way, but put you in a challenging emotional situation and you completely shut down."

"Holly," Artemis hissed. "Be quiet. You'll wake up my family."

"Good!" she said even louder. "Then they can hear the truth about you. How you're living in a fantasy world where the reality of your pregnancy can't touch you. And you can try to argue that this is a perfectly normal way of dealing with this, writing it off as part of your complex psychological scars: You didn't have much of a childhood; you had to grow up at a very young age; you don't want to have a child of your own because you were cheated out of being a child yourself, and this will truly end any semblances of a childhood you had left."

Artemis opened his mouth to defend himself, but their argument was interrupted by a knock at the bedroom door. It opened to reveal a drowsy, yawning, seven-year-old Beckett, rubbing his eye with a fist.

"Artemis, are you and Holly fighting? I woke up and heard you yelling."

Artemis plastered on a smile. "Holly and I were just having a… disagreement." Holly snorted derisively at this. Artemis shot her a look, then spoke to Beckett once more. "I'm sorry we woke you. We'll be quiet. Go back to bed."

But Beckett wasn't going anywhere just yet. "Was it about the…" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "The you-know-what?"

Artemis sighed. "About the baby?"

Beckett gasped. "You said it!" He turned to Holly. "Mummy said we shouldn't talk about the baby with Artemis because it upsets him. She said anytime she tried to bring it up, he refused to talk." Holly raised her eyebrows at this, intrigued by the contrasting picture Beckett was painting.

Beckett turned to Artemis. "Why is that? Why don't you like to talk about the baby? I thought babies made people happy."

Artemis got up and went over to Beckett, kneeling in front of him. "Well, normally, mothers are the ones who have babies, not the fathers. It isn't natural for me to be pregnant, but when you add a little magic into the mix, anything can happen." Artemis looked at Holly, who stared indifferently back at him.

"So you're special?" Beckett asked. "And you're upset that you're special?"

"Yes, I guess I am," Artemis replied. "This sort of thing takes some getting used to, and I guess I haven't tried to get used to it yet."

"But why not? Are you afraid you won't be a good dad? I think you will be. You take care of me and Myles all the time. Remember that time you taught us French? Or, at least, you tried to." Beckett's eyes widened as he got an idea. "What if I helped you take care of the baby? Then you wouldn't have to worry as much."

Artemis smiled. "Thank you, Beckett. I think you'd be a great help. Especially since you'll be the baby's uncle. Uncle Beckett."

"Un-cle Beck-ett," Beckett said slowly, rolling the words around his mouth. "I like the sound of that."

"You know, Beckett," Holly said. "I think I can answer your question about why your brother doesn't like to talk about the baby." Beckett turned his attention to the elf. "Your brother has a hard time allowing himself to be emotionally vulnerable. He tends to keep his guard up against emotional situations because he learned that showing emotion is equivalent to showing weakness. And even though those around him show emotions and assure him that he can too, that guard still goes up. It's been too strongly ingrained in him. So this whole situation with the baby is an emotional roller coaster that Artemis isn't ready to get on yet." Holly's speech was obviously pointed at Artemis, so Beckett found that this didn't clear anything up at all. He looked back at Artemis for a translation.

"I just don't feel ready to have a child," Artemis admitted. "This is a big change in my life, in all of our lives, and I'm just not able to cope with it yet."

"It's been a month," Holly pointed out. "How much longer is it going to take before you can cope with it?"

Beckett patted his brother on the arm. "It's okay, Artemis. You can handle anything."

Artemis smiled and escorted Beckett back to his room and tucked him into bed.

"Artemis?"

"Yes, Beckett?"

"What did all of that stuff Holly said mean?"

"It was her way of saying that I'm scared, even though I don't like to admit it. This is something out of my control, and I'm used to being able to control my life."

"You don't have to be scared," Beckett told him.

"I know. But that's something else I can't control."

"Well, then, here." Beckett pulled a teddy bear from under the covers. "This makes me feel better when I'm scared."

Artemis took the bear and kissed his brother's forehead. "Thank you," he whispered. "Now go back to sleep."

Beckett snuggled down into the covers. "'Night, Arty."

"Good night, Beckett."

Artemis returned to his room, bear in tow. Holly watched him, a bemused expression on her face. "Who's your friend?" she asked.

Artemis set the bear on his nightstand and settled back into bed. "Beckett gave it to me to help me feel better."

Holly waited a beat, then began, "Artemis, about what I said…"

He cut her off. "No. Don't say anything. Everything you said was true. You effectively know me better than I know myself. Congratulations." He didn't bother to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Artemis…"

Artemis rolled over, forcing Holly to stare at his back.

The tension from their fight still hung thick in the air above them, and Holly felt like it was restricting her breaths. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore.

"I think I'll sleep in the guest room tonight," she said quietly, slipping out from beneath the covers.

Artemis didn't say anything. He couldn't. If he did, Holly would hear the tears he was choking back. Only when the door was latched firmly behind the elf did he allow the tears to fall.

They weren't sad tears; they were angry tears. And it wasn't anger at Holly; it was anger at himself. Anger because he had been lying to himself. Holly was right; he _had _been acting childish by pretending everything was normal. And he _was_ afraid of being emotionally vulnerable. He'd felt that vulnerability on only a handful of occasions. In fact, Holly had seen him at his most vulnerable, an experience that made him flush at the thought even now.

So why was he so adamant against allowing his emotions to show through? Why did he refuse to give into his feelings and accept them for what they were?

Something Holly had said to Beckett resurfaced. _He learned that showing emotion is equivalent to showing weakness_. It was true. As a child, he discovered that adopting a cold, unemotional persona awarded him more respect from adults, or at least, it scared them into respecting him. They took him seriously and treated him as an equal.

Artemis rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't a child anymore. He didn't need to worry about how adults would view him because he was an adult now, too. And he needed to start acting like one.

He laid a hand on his stomach. "There's a being inside of me," he said aloud. "One I helped create with the help of a little magic. A child who will have a complicated life ahead of him or her, a life that I will help make less complicated in any way I can. Because that is what a parent does. I'm going to be a parent. A father." His voice cracked at that last word. Father.

It was such a relief to allow himself to _feel_, to finally accept that he had emotions and didn't have to be uncomfortable or afraid to show them. Then he remembered how bitter he'd been toward Holly and wondered if he should go apologize. But the thought of getting back up filled his muscles with fatigue. Better to let her cool off for the night and start fresh in the morning. The morning of the day he would see an image of the being inside of him. The thought filled him with a warm, nervous energy.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Holly woke, squinting at the bright light streaming through the windows. She'd forgotten to close the curtains last night after the blow-out with Artemis.

She sat up and stretched her arms up over her head, then let them fall limply onto the bed. She thought about all she had said to Artemis during their fight. A few trickles of guilt slipped into her mind. She'd been hard on him. After all, he was going through an awful lot.

Then again, he'd needed to hear it. It had been a month since he'd learned about his pregnancy, for Frond's sake! And they were going to see their child for the first time today. How could he not feel anything about that?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. "Come in," she called, knowing it was Artemis before he even entered.

"Good morning," he greeted her cheerfully. Very uncharacteristic of him.

She cocked her head to the side, frowning. "Is it?"

"Of course! We're going to see our child today."

This was a surprise. "You've certainly changed your tune," Holly said cautiously, expecting a trick. Instead, she got more surprises.

Artemis sat on the edge of the bed. "I want to apologize for the way I acted last night. I thought long and hard about what you had said, and I saw what you saw. I saw myself for who I truly am: a scared little boy using his past as an excuse to avoid dealing with emotional challenges. Then I thought about the child inside of me and how miraculous that is. And how even though I'm scared, I'm also elated. I never thought about being a father before, but now that I have, I can honestly say that I have never been happier. This is teaching me how to open up to the emotions I've been locking away all these years. Including one I've only recently been able to touch."

He slid closer to her and reached for her hand, grasping it gently. "One that you've helped me touch. Love." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I love you so much, Holly," he said. "And I know I don't show it, but I do. And I will try to show it from now on. I owe you so much. You have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am so grateful for that. You taught me how to love, and you will continue to teach me, so that when our child is born, I can show him or her love, too."

Holly was speechless. This was not the Artemis she was used to. The two of them didn't discuss things like feelings and love. Probably why their relationship was a complex and convoluted one. This softer side of Artemis was… Surprisingly refreshing. She often felt guarded around him, as if his unemotional nature influenced her to keep her emotions in check, too. But, she had to admit, she tended to keep her emotions to herself anyway. Being female in a predominantly male field, she had to prove that she wasn't some moody, oversensitive girly who couldn't handle the stressors of police work.

Holly cringed, realizing she was just as guilty, if not more so, of what she had accused Artemis of last night.

Artemis saw the face she had made and quickly withdrew his hand. "I… I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have said that. I just thought… I thought we were at that point."

"No, no!" Holly said, reaching for his hand again. "I was just thinking that I haven't been open about my feelings either. It would be hypocritical of me to accuse you of avoiding exploring your feelings and act like I don't do that myself."

She rubbed her thumb in lazy circles on Artemis's hand, an action that sent shivers up his spine.

"I'm no good at this sort of thing," Holly said. "So I guess what I'm trying to say is… I love you, too. I never thought I would ever say that to anyone, least of all you. But you've come a long way since that December night when you kidnapped me. We've _both_ come a long way. And we have an even longer way to go." She dropped his hand and lightly rested her fingers on his stomach. "But the most important thing is that we're doing this together."

Artemis smiled. "Together," he repeated.

Holly let the moment settle around them before playfully punching Artemis on the arm. "That was probably the most disgustingly sweet and painfully awkward conversation we've ever had together, Mud Boy. Let's go back to being snarky and sarcastic to each other. That seems to work out better."

Artemis let out a laugh. "Agreed."

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Artemis breathed.

"Me neither." Holly grabbed Artemis's hand and squeezed it, more to keep herself calm rather than him.

Artemis winced as Dr. Blazel squirted the cold gel onto his stomach. He and Holly focused their attention on the image on the screen. He wasn't sure which one of them gasped; maybe they did so in unison. But the sight of their child – _their child_ – was breathtaking. Artemis was filled with a mixture of emotions he couldn't separate into components, and the overwhelming sensation manifested itself into tears that sprung to his eyes and trailed silently down his cheeks.

He turned to look at Holly, whose face was also wet with tears. "That's our child," he whispered. "I can't believe I was so upset and angry about something so… incredible."

Dr. Blazel smiled. "Everything looks normal, though it's too early to determine a gender at this point. We are by no means out of the woods though, because as you know, this will only get riskier. I am pleased that this has gone so well so far, and it looks like you're good to go. I assume you want a copy of the sonogram."

"Yes," Holly said. "Of course."

"I thought as much. I will get that ready for you, and as long as nothing happens, I will see you in three weeks. I know I've said this before, but I can't stress it enough: If anything, _anything_, seems different or off in any way, call me _immediately_."

Artemis suppressed the sudden urge to roll his eyes and instead responded cordially, "Of course, Doctor." He understood the doctor's adamancy; this _was_ dangerous, and he often woke from nightmares painting scenes of what could go wrong.

But for now, as he and Holly stared at the image of their child, all fear left him, and he was filled with total bliss.

**15 Hours Later**

**Fowl Manor**

Butler was instantly awake at the first knock on his door, but they kept coming, a rapid pounding that was sure to wake up everyone in Fowl Manor if it continued. He opened the door to see Artemis, hand up in mid-knock.

"Artemis?"

"Butler, I need you to make me escargot covered in melted dark chocolate, served on a bed of dandelion leaves, and a glass of champagne with a splash of apple cider vinegar."

Butler rubbed his eyes. "What?"

Artemis repeated his order, just as rapid-fire as the first time.

"First of all, that sounds repulsive. Second of all, it's three o'clock in the morning, Artemis!"

"Pregnancy cravings, Butler. Let's go." Artemis snapped his fingers, reminiscent of what he did in restaurants at the wait staff.

Butler made his way down to the kitchen with Artemis on his heels. "If this makes you sick, don't come complaining to me," he said as he prepared Artemis's "snack."

"Less talking, more preparing," Artemis retorted.

Butler placed the plate of chocolate-covered snails on dandelion leaves in front of Artemis and poured a glass of champagne.

"Don't forget the vinegar," Artemis said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Butler replied, dumping some in. "You enjoy. I'm going back to bed."

"Thank you, Butler. Good night."

Butler shook his head, muttering to himself as he started back upstairs. "This pregnancy thing is something else."


	7. Chapter 7

**One Week Later**

**Fowl Manor**

_The troll squeezed Artemis in his huge, hairy hand, and Artemis could feel ribs cracking. The beast traced a talon down Artemis's face and neck, and hot blood began streaming from the wound. Artemis no longer had the strength to fight, so the troll tired of toying with his meal and used its scything tusks to cut up through the boy's abdomen, lapping at the fountain of blood that spurted out…_

Artemis woke from his nightmare to find that the pain inflicted by the troll was still cutting through his abdomen like a dagger. He tried shifting positions, thinking it might ease the pain. Instead, it made it worse, and he let out a groan.

Holly stirred beside him. "Artemis?" she asked groggily.

Artemis clenched his teeth against the wave of pain, unable to answer her. She rolled over to look at him, gasping at the sheen of sweat coating his skin.

"Artemis!" she shrieked. "What's wrong?"

"My…stomach…" he grunted. "Pain…" He heaved in a huge breath.

Holly was instantly up, scrambling for her communicator. "I'm calling Dr. Blazel, and we're going down there. If something's happening, we need to get this taken care of right away."

Artemis wracked his brain, trying to figure out a possible cause of his pain that didn't have to do with the baby, but there was none. The pain had come from nowhere, with no warning whatsoever.

Which is what he told Dr. Blazel several hours later as he laid on the exam table while Dr. Blazel ran test after test and scan after scan. Finally, he had a diagnosis.

"There is a rather large air pocket that has formed in the amniotic sac. Your body recognized that this does not belong and is taking up valuable space, inhibiting the amount of nutrients available to the baby."

"What do we do?" Holly asked.

"Luckily, there is a simple procedure we can perform using a concentrated laser beam to puncture the air pocket and allow the amniotic fluid to seep back in."

"A laser? Is that safe?" Artemis asked. "Won't that endanger the baby?"

Dr. Blazel shook his head. "The pocket is in an ideal location, as far away from the baby as possible. Otherwise I would agree with you that it could be dangerous. But we do need to act quickly, in case the pocket expands. If it gets larger, we may not be able to puncture it. So Artemis, I'm going to take you back to get prepared for surgery, and we'll get this done and have you on your way."

Dr. Blazel escorted Artemis out, leaving Holly to pace nervously around the room. This is how Dr. Blazel found her when he returned moments later to collect Artemis's records.

He watched her for a minute before saying, "This isn't dangerous, Holly. You don't have to worry."

Holly startled, not realizing the doctor had returned. He smiled apologetically. "Didn't mean to frighten you. But trust me, this surgery is simple. Fast, too. We should be done within an hour's time."

Holly sighed. "I'm not worried about this surgery. I'm worried about the whole pregnancy. What is this is just one in a long list of future complications that only get more dangerous and painful? I'm always on edge around Artemis, afraid something might happen to him or the baby at any moment. And now something has. I feel like it's my fault, because I convinced him not to terminate the pregnancy. I was putting my morals over his safety, and if anything happens to him…" She trailed off, afraid she would start to cry if she said anything else.

"It's understandable that you feel responsible for this setback, but you can't continue to hold yourself responsible for anything that may happen in the future," Dr. Blazel said. "You have every right to be worried. I know you don't like to let people see when you're afraid, especially Artemis, and especially in his condition. And Artemis does need you to be strong, to support him in times like this. But it's okay to let yourself feel weak sometimes. It'll only make you stronger in the long run.

"Will something like this happen again? Maybe. Will something worse happen? I don't know. This pregnancy is unpredictable. We've been very fortunate up to this point that nothing has happened, and even now that something has, it is easily treatable. I'm not sure if that was enough of a pep talk for you, but that's all I've got."

"That was plenty," Holly said. "Thank you."

Dr. Blazel nodded, then looked at his watch. "Artemis should be prepped by now. He's being given a light dose of anesthesia to ensure he doesn't make any sudden movements while the laser is in use, so I need to get to surgery now before the anesthesia starts to wear off. I'm assuming you'll want to be there when he wakes up…"

"Absolutely."

"Head to the waiting room, and I'll come and get you as soon as the surgery is over."

Artemis opened his eyes to bright light and immediately closed them again. He felt strange, like he was floating.

"Artemis?" Holly's voice was calling him. He cracked open his eyelids, then slowly let them open the rest of the way as they adjusted to the light.

Holly was beside him, smiling. "Hey, Mud Boy. It's about time you woke up."

Artemis couldn't help but smile back. "I was enjoying some peace and quiet without you insulting me."

Holly punched his arm harder than a comment like that merited, and Artemis winced. "You're insufferable sometimes, you know that?" she said.

Artemis rubbed his arm. "This is exactly the kind of scenario to which I was referring."

It felt nice to banter like they were used to. It was one of the things Holly missed most about their friendship once it became a relationship. The dynamics had changed, and it wasn't until they shifted back to their old ways that she truly felt comfortable with Artemis.

"The surgery went well," she told him. "Just as Dr. Blazel said it would. The baby's fine, you're fine, and as soon as you're up to it, we can head home."

"No," Artemis said suddenly.

"What?"

"_I_ am going home. _You_ are going to stay here so you can head back to work. Holly, don't think I haven't noticed that you've been spending less and less time belowground and more and more time at Fowl Manor, hovering over me. You rarely go outside and enjoy what you love most about being on the surface: the fresh air, the sunlight… Instead, you stay cooped up indoors with me. You're trapped, Holly. You love your job, and I can tell how miserable you are being so inactive. So you are going to stay here and get back to work while I return to the surface alone. You'll be missing enough work soon enough."

"But… what if something happens?"

"Holly, I'll have my family and Butler to keep an eye on me. If anything happens, I have my communicator, and I will call you and Dr. Blazel immediately. But we need to get some sort of normalcy back into our lives. We're constantly together, and it gets uncomfortable. I don't think our friendship, or relationship, or whatever this is, will survive otherwise."

Holly breathed a sigh of relief. So it wasn't just her who thought that their situation was awkward. And even though she hated to admit it, Artemis was right. She'd stopped going to work on a regular basis and spent the majority of her time on the surface with Artemis, thinking that she needed to be with him to serve as caretaker/protector or something. But she hated it. She longed for that rush of adrenaline brought on by her job in the LEP. And, thinking back to the discussion she'd had with Dr. Blazel before the surgery, she felt responsible for Artemis's health, even though she didn't need to be.

"Okay," she finally said. "But give me an occasional update, just so I know what's going on."

"I will," Artemis assured her. "Trust me, I've been thinking this through for a long time, analyzing the dynamics between us and how they've fluctuated ever since we became… shall we say, romantically entangled. The only times we've both been content were when we each had our own routine and didn't feel obligated to rearrange our schedules to fit the other's."

That did it. She and Artemis had been spending so much time together that they were starting to think the same. "I totally agree," Holly said. "Plus I miss insulting you. That banter we had just a little bit ago, that made me feel alive again. The punch helped, too. Took me back to the good old days when you were a low-life kidnapper and I punched you for the very first time."

"Glad to hear it," Artemis replied drily. But inside he was smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

**Two Weeks Later**

**Fowl Manor**

The pregnancy was undeniable now. Artemis sighed as he gave up trying to button his shirt over his protruding stomach. He reluctantly pulled the bag of larger-sized clothes Butler had taken the liberty of purchasing a few weeks ago from his wardrobe. He looked at the clothes in disgust: oversized t-shirts and pants with elastic waistbands. He shuddered at the thought of wearing such unsophisticated garments. But he had no choice and cursed as he pulled on the clothes.

He made his way downstairs to join his family for breakfast, and he could see Butler repressing a smile at his unpolished appearance. Artemis scowled in response.

Beckett giggled as he watched his brother sit down. "Arty, you look funny!"

"I certainly feel funny," he grumbled. "But I can't wear any of my own clothes anymore."

"Why?"

Artemis pointed to his stomach. "The baby's getting bigger, which means my abdomen is expanding to make room for it." He sighed.

Angeline rubbed his back as she set a mug of Earl Grey tea in front of him. "It'll all be worth it," she said. "The moment you hold your own child, all of this will be forgotten, and the only thing that will matter will be your little son or daughter. Trust me."

Artemis sipped at his tea, head down, trying to gauge his father's reaction to the discussion out of the corner of his eye. Artemis Sr. was still coming to terms with his son's pregnancy. Artemis knew it was hard for his father to accept but that he _was_ trying. And he knew if he ever needed anything, his father would drop everything in order to be his son's hero, just like he promised.

"It's true," Artemis Sr. said. "I made the mistake of not realizing how precious life is when you were born, because all I cared about was the family fortune. I regret that. But when the twins were born, I knew how special they were. At that point, we thought we'd lost you, Artemis, and I finally recognized that they were my second chance to see life as a gift, not as a game of acquiring wealth."

Artemis Sr. fixed his son with a stern gaze. "I learned from my mistakes. I hope you will, too."

"I will," Artemis said.

**Two Weeks Later**

"Artemis, I have to tell Foaly about you," Holly said. "He's been getting suspicious, and I can't keep making excuses for all my trips to the surface and all your visits belowground. To be honest, I don't think he believes any of them anyway, but he hasn't pried. Besides, you're really starting to show now, so if anyone saw you, word could get around pretty quickly, and I'd rather Foaly not hear this through rumors."

"That's fine," Artemis said. "I just told Butler this morning that he could tell Juliet. She's coming to visit after her current wrestling tour is done, and he doesn't want her to be surprised by this."

"Alright, I'll tell him. And I'll make sure he keeps quiet about it. No sense in him blabbing it to all of Haven City if we can help it."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. I'll need it."

**Operations Booth**

"Let me get this straight: you, Mulch Diggums, have a business proposition you'd like to make?"

"That's right, pony boy. With my genius idea, I could help you create the next big thing."

Foaly was not impressed. "Sure, Mulch. I'm in the mood for a laugh, and I can't think of anything funnier than you trying to pitch me an idea of how to improve my already stellar technology. So let's hear this big idea of yours."

The dwarf leaned back in his chair. "It came to me in a dream, actually. I found myself in the shuttle taking me to Atlantis back when poor Julius was murdered by Opal Koboi. And I had to relive my daring escape to save my friends and all of Haven City from that evil pixie's plot."

"Get on with it, Mulch," Foaly said, annoyance slipping into his voice.

Mulch huffed. "I was! Hold your horses, if you'll pardon the pun…" He snickered at his joke before continuing. "I have to set the mood."

"It's been set. What's the idea?"

"Do you know how I escaped from that shuttle? By propelling myself with my gaseous emissions through the crumpled remains of the shuttle. But what protected my head during that escape?"

Foaly was fed up with the rhetorical questions. "Just tell me your idea!" he exploded.

Mulch sighed. "You centaurs are so moody. You can't appreciate the fine art of storytelling. Fine. I coated my head in dwarf spittle, creating a helmet."

"And?"

"And… With my dwarf spittle, you could create a nearly indestructible helmet for use by the LEP officers in the field. You'd probably have to mix it with something to make it not so luminescent… Unless you want to start a line of glow-in-the-dark helmets. I could see where there might be a market for that…"

Foaly pondered this. "You know, that's not a bad idea. The first one, not the glowing helmet one. Hmm…" But before he could consider it further, a knock came at the door.

"Holly!" the centaur greeted her after he buzzed her in. "Haven't seen you much. What's new?"

"Well, actually, there's something I need to tell you…" She noticed Mulch reclining in his chair. "What's he doing here?"

"Talking business with my good friend, Foaly," the dwarf replied.

Holly looked to Foaly for confirmation, and the centaur shrugged, giving her a sheepish grin.

She sighed. "Well, I guess I might as well tell both of you then." And she launched into the whole story, keeping her gaze fixed on the wall between them so she didn't have to watch their expressions.

"But you can't tell anyone," she finished adamantly. "We're trying to keep this as quiet as we can. But as our friends, we felt you deserve to know."

Mulch and Foaly looked at each other, then at Holly, then back at each other.

"Well?" she demanded. "Are you going to laugh or freak out or what?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to do," Foaly said.

"Agreed," said Mulch. "I don't have anything in my witty retorts book that covers this kind of situation. I feel like I should be laughing and making fun of you, since that's usually what I do around here, but I guess I'm just in shock."

"How far along is he?" Foaly asked.

"About 15 weeks now."

Foaly did some quick calculations in his head, connecting the dots. "Everything makes so much more sense now," he said. "You missing so much work and making up all those excuses for your numerous jaunts to the surface. And Artemis's frequent trips down here were for doctor's appointments."

"Yes," Holly said. "It's very risky, so as things progress, he'll be coming down more often. And it'll be more and more likely that someone will notice him as he starts looking more and more pregnant, so we didn't want you finding out through rumors. We wanted you to hear it from us."

"Thank you, Holly. I appreciate it," said Foaly. "In fact, I'd like to help out by giving you access to your own shuttle so you always have transportation available."

"Oh, Foaly, that'd be wonderful! Thank you!" She hugged him. "Wait, are you allowed to do that?"

Foaly shrugged. "Not necessarily, but I'm sure I can pull a few strings."

"Or you could blackmail someone," Mulch suggested. "People will do anything to keep their dirty secrets under wraps. I've found this technique works wonders."

Foaly continued, "And if people start to talk, I'll invent some excuse to try to dispel any rumors that may pop up. To keep things quiet, because I could see this blowing up. If the news stations got wind of it, you'd never have a moment's peace."

"That goes for you, too, Mulch," Holly warned. "You can't tell anyone about this."

"Why does everyone always assume I'll blab?" he whined. "I'm trustworthy."

"Said the criminal," Holly said.

Mulch shrugged. "It's in my nature to be a thief. I can't help that. But you can count on me to keep this a secret. My lips are sealed like a dwarf's insides after munching on rubber."

"Good. It's nice to know we have friends to support us."

"Holly, you and Artemis have done so much for us over the years that it wouldn't be fair if we didn't return the favor," Foaly told her.

She smiled, thanked them for being so understanding, and left.

Foaly and Mulch sat in silence, digesting their newfound knowledge.

"Didn't see that coming," Mulch said finally.

"Yeah," Foaly agreed. "Who would have thought?"


	9. Chapter 9

**One Week Later**

"You ready to head down for your appointment?" Holly asked when Artemis greeted her at the door.

"Hold on," he said. He waved her over. "Come here." She did, and Artemis took her hand and placed it on his stomach.

"Just wait," he whispered.

They stood in silence for several minutes until Holly felt a fluttering sensation beneath her fingertips. She gasped and drew her hand away in surprise. Artemis laughed. "My reaction was similar when I first felt it, too."

"Oh…wow," Holly said. "I can't… I don't…" She shook her head. "Just wow."

At the appointment, Dr. Blazel confirmed that the fluttering movements were the baby's light kicks. "Which is good," he said. "That means everything is right on track, development-wise. In fact, at your next appointment, I'll be able to determine the gender, if you two decide you'd like to know. If not, that's fine, too. Some parents would rather be surprised, but the choice is entirely up to you."

Thus this became the topic of discussion on the shuttle ride back to the surface.

"What are your thoughts, Artemis? Do you want to know?"

Artemis sighed. "Do you?"

"Well… Kind of. I mean, it would be nice to have a pronoun other than 'it' to use when talking about the baby. And we could start thinking of names."

"True."

Holly peeled her eyes from the front window to look at Artemis. "You're thinking about something. I can tell. What is it?"

"Just from a practical standpoint… Let's say, hypothetically, the baby doesn't make it. There's a strong chance that could happen, even though it pains me to think about. Wouldn't it be easier to grieve if we didn't know and didn't already have a name picked out?"

Holly swallowed hard, forcing the lump that was forming in her throat back down and returned her eyes to the chute. "Maybe. But what difference does it make? Grieving is grieving, and if we have to go through it, it'll be hard either way."

Artemis thought this over. "I still don't know," he finally said. "I need to think about it."

Holly nodded. "Take as long as you need. I'll respect whatever decision you make."

**Three Weeks Later**

"Well, Artemis," said Dr. Blazel. "Have you and Holly decided if you'd like to know the baby's gender?"

Artemis took a deep breath. "After some consideration… Yes. Yes, we'd like to know."

This was news to Holly. Every time she'd asked him if he'd decided, Artemis told her he was still thinking about it, until she finally gave up and stopped asking. "Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. I want to know."

"As long as you aren't doing this for me, because I've pressured you enough in this pregnancy."

"I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for us."

"Excellent," Dr. Blazel set up the ultrasound equipment. As he did, he said, "Congratulations, by the way. You've reached the halfway mark of your pregnancy. I'm delighted to see how well things have been going, aside from that little blip with the air pocket."

Moments later, Dr. Blazel announced, "It's a girl!"

"A girl," Artemis breathed, looking up at Holly. "We're having a girl."

**Two Months Later**

"So I've been trying to come up with potential baby names," Holly said.

"Oh? Any luck?"

"Well, I was thinking about Mireille; Mimi for short. It means 'miracle' in French, and you have to admit, she _is _pretty miraculous."

"Mireille," Artemis said, rolling the name around his tongue. "I love that. And you."

Holly pushed him. "Don't be getting sappy on me, Mud Boy. Remember our agreement to keep this relationship built on insults and sarcasm."

"Sorry. Blame the hormones. Sometimes they let something nice slip through."

Holly bumped her shoulder against his, their old version of a hug. "Don't let it happen again."

"I won't."

Artemis was in pain. His back ached from carrying around all the extra weight, and Mireille's kicks were getting more violent. Plus he was restless. His next appointment wasn't for another week, so Holly was working belowground, leaving him to… Do what, exactly? What had he been doing for the last six months? Nothing. He was stagnating. His days were spent on pregnancy websites, trying to learn all he could about his condition and what to expect. And he'd read and reread the information Dr. Blazel had given him enough times that he could recite everything by heart. Educating himself, as the doctor recommended.

But after six months of "education," Artemis was bored. He longed for something to challenge his mind, a plot to plan and execute…_anything_.

He forced himself to a standing position and wandered down the hallway. He heard noises coming from one of the guest bedrooms and peered in, then withdrew slightly when he was assaulted by the scent of wet paint. His mother, dressed in old clothes, stood in front of a partially painted wall, a roller covered in pale coral paint in hand.

"Mother?"

Angeline looked up at her son and smiled, running her free hand through her frazzled hair. "Hello, Arty."

"What… what is all of this?"

"Your father suggested we turn this guest room into a nursery for the baby. He's out looking for furniture, and I told him I'd start painting. We wanted to surprise you."

"I'm surprised," Artemis said. "Father suggested this?"

Angeline set down the paint roller. "Yes, Artemis. He's trying to be the hero you want and need him to be. He took that request to heart, and even though he doesn't show it, he is working toward acceptance. This has been tearing him apart, the fact that he can't seem to accept this, and he knows how much it hurts you to know he doesn't fully support you, even though he wants to. He wanted to do this to prove to you that he _is_ here for you."

She made her way over to her son and embraced him. "We know this hasn't been easy for you, but we want to try to do what we can for you and Holly."

"Thank you," he whispered.

"So much for the surprise." Artemis turned to see his father standing in the doorway. "Before you say anything, Arty, I want to explain myself. The very thought that it was my idea to turn this room into a nursery may seem a bit confusing, since I have been slow to accept this. Trust me, I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to be as understanding and accepting as your mother, but something was keeping me from doing just that. And I finally discovered what.

"Your mother and I were young when we had you, not much older than you are now. So I thought back to that time and how I was, and I tried to picture myself in your shoes. And I couldn't. I can't imagine what you're going through, and I know I could never be as brave as you are. So the very fact that I can't empathize and imagine myself in your position has been my barrier to accepting this. Yes, my bitterness toward situations brought on by certain members of the fairy people contributed, but it was mostly because I didn't know how to be there for you. I know that you know I've been trying, but trying isn't good enough. I am no longer going to _try_ to support you and _try_ to accept this. I _will_ support you and I _am_ going to accept this. The only thing that matters is that through some unlikely and unbelievable circumstances, you are going to have my first grandchild, and I am honored to have a son who has the courage go through all of this for that privilege."

Artemis Sr. opened his arms to his son. "I know it's taken me a while, and I'm sorry. I never should have let it take so long."

"It's fine," Artemis said, feeling the tightness of his father's arms around him. His mother joined in, enclosing him in a comforting embrace.

"Group hug!" screamed Beckett, galloping into the room and wrapping his arms around his brother's leg.

Artemis looked up and saw Myles watching from the hall. "You might as well join in, Myles," he said. "Things like this don't happen often in the Fowl household."

"They should," Angeline murmured.

"I don't know…" Myles said hesitantly.

"Don't be a simple-toon," Beckett said. "Come join the hug."

Myles reluctantly left his spot outside the room and awkwardly wrapped his arms around Artemis's other leg. "This is ridiculous," he commented.

"No it isn't," Angeline scolded. "This family needs to show more love, especially now that it's going to get bigger. You would think that after all the close calls we've had we would have learned that by now. We've been given so many second chances and for once we need to take advantage of them."

Myles removed himself from the tangle. "Well, that was enough love for me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have experiments to get back to."

Artemis Sr. chuckled. "Spoken like a true Fowl. Always working."

"Can I help you with your 'speriments?" Beckett asked hopefully.

"Only if you don't try to drink anything."

Beckett pouted. "I only did that because it looked like grape juice."

"Just because something looks like grape juice doesn't mean that's what it is."

"If you two don't stop arguing, no one will be doing any experiments," warned Artemis Sr. He turned to his eldest son and sighed. "You sure you're ready to be a father?"

"No," Artemis admitted. "I'm not sure of anything. All I know is that I am lucky to have a father of my own to guide me through this."

Artemis Sr. smiled. "Thank you, son."


	10. Chapter 10

**One Month Later**

**Fowl Manor**

Artemis clicked the latches on his suitcase shut as his mother stood by the door, watching him. She sighed. "I can't believe you'll be living underground for a month."

"Mother, you won't even notice I'm gone. A month is not that long."

"It is when I'll be up here, worrying about you and the baby. Didn't Dr. Blazel say that the last month is the most dangerous time, where it's more likely that something will go wrong?"

"What if I leave you my fairy communicator? I can use Holly's to check in with you as often as you want. Every day, twice a day… Whatever will set your mind at ease."

"Well, I suppose that will help," she said. "I'm just scared of losing you again."

"You won't lose me," Artemis said.

"You can't promise that."

"True," he conceded. "But you won't lose your memories of me, and those would be enough to keep me alive no matter what happens."

Angeline gave him a small smile, one full of more sadness than joy. "You've grown up so fast. I can no longer look at you and see my little boy. Instead I see a man who is wise beyond his years, one who has lived several lifetimes in less than two decades." She wiped at a few tears that had come to her eyes.

"Mother, please don't cry."

Artemis Sr. knocked lightly on the doorframe. "You almost ready, son?"

Artemis nodded. "Thank you for taking me to the shuttle port. Holly appreciates it, too. It will give her a little extra time to get her apartment ready for my arrival."

"I'm happy to help. Go and say goodbye to the twins and Butler, and we'll be on our way."

"I'm coming with you two," Angeline said adamantly, daring her husband to argue.

"I figured you would want to," Artemis Sr. replied. "A mother seeing her little bird leave the nest, even if it is just temporary."

"That cliché is actually humorous in this family's case," Artemis noted. "Fowl, bird... A clever play on words."

Artemis Sr. shook his head and picked up his son's suitcase from the bed. "It's remarks like that that I'll miss without you around."

Artemis made his way to the twins' room. He smiled, shaking his head at the fact that Fowl Manor was plenty large enough to accommodate the two boys having their own room, but Beckett still believed monsters were lurking in the shadows, and his only protection was sharing a room with Myles. He claimed strength in numbers would overpower the monsters trying to make a meal of him. Myles went along with it just to avoid a meltdown from his twin.

"Myles, Beckett, I'm leaving now."

Beckett ran over, a fistful of crayons clutched in his hand, despite the fact that Artemis saw no evidence of paper. He knew he should probably check the walls for signs of Beckett's artistic expression, but what was the sense in ruining his farewell to the boy by admonishing him? "Where are you going?" Beckett asked.

"I'm going to stay with Holly until the baby is born, remember?"

"Oh," Beckett said sadly. "So I don't get to see her when she's born?"

"No, not right away. But once I come home you'll get to see her all the time."

Beckett crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "That means even more waiting. I'm tired of waiting."

"I'm sorry, Beckett. That's just how it is." Artemis gave him a hug before heading over to Myles.

"I don't want to interrupt your experiment…" Artemis began, not expecting much of a send-off from Myles. But he was surprised when Myles turned away from his test tubes and gave his older brother a tight hug.

"Please don't die, Artemis," he whispered. "I've heard what you said about this being dangerous, but I made sure Beckett didn't know what I knew. I didn't want to upset him. But I don't think the family can handle losing you."

Artemis swallowed and nodded, unable to say anything. Between his mother and now Myles, Artemis was now recalling just how unlikely it was both he and Mireille would make it to the end of the pregnancy. He'd been trying to keep thoughts like that out of his mind, but now it was all he could think about.

"I'll miss you," Myles said aloud before turning back to his chemicals.

"Me too!" chimed Beckett.

"See you in a month," Artemis managed to choke out before heading to the dojo to say his goodbye to Butler.

"Are you leaving?" Butler asked. Artemis nodded, biting his lip to keep from crying. "You're scared," Butler noted. Another nod. "Let me guess: you've been reminded of how dangerous this is." Yet another nod. "Artemis, I wish I could protect you, but this is way out of a bodyguard's training. I can't save you from yourself… or from something within you. If I could, you know I'd be on that shuttle down to Haven with you."

"That and the fact that there's nowhere tall enough to accommodate someone of your stature," Artemis commented.

"Very true. But Holly will take good care of you. I know she will." He wiped his brow. "I'm a bit sweaty after my workout, but if you don't mind, I'd like a hug goodbye."

"I think that can be arranged."

The tearful goodbyes he'd said to his parents were still fresh in his mind as he boarded the shuttle and Holly took them belowground. He stared out the window and saw their faces in the rock formations they passed. He shut his eyes, but their faces were there, too.

"I tried my best to make some space in my apartment, but I realized that though it's fine for me living by myself, it's not very spacious for two people," Holly explained as she opened the door to Artemis's home for the next month.

"I don't mind. Besides, you'll be at work most of the day anyway."

"What will you do?"

Artemis sighed, settling down into a chair. He had to catch his breath before he spoke. Walking even the smallest distances felt like marathons these days, and it didn't take much for him to feel fatigued. "That's a good question," he finally said. "I was bored in my own home, so I can imagine it will be even worse down here." As he took in Holly's tiny apartment, he already felt claustrophobic.

Holly thought for a moment. "Tell you what. I'll talk to Foaly and see if we can sneak you into the Operations Booth a couple days a week. The two of you can talk tech or do whatever it is he does on a daily basis. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to have someone around who actually cares and understands what he's talking about. I'll ask him tomorrow. For now, I'd like to get some sleep." She rearranged a pillow and blanket on her couch.

"You aren't sleeping on the couch, are you?" Artemis asked.

"My bed isn't big enough for both of us," she answered.

"But I'm the guest. You should get to sleep in your own bed. Just me being here is enough of an intrusion for you."

"I'm not the one who is eight months pregnant." She fixed him with a hard stare. "Don't fight me on this, Mud Boy. You get the bed, end of story."

The apartment felt even smaller now. Artemis swallowed his pride and headed for the bedroom.

"It's going to be a long month," he muttered.

"I heard that!" Holly shouted after him.


	11. Chapter 11

**One Week Later**

**Operations Booth**

Mulch gnawed on a carrot with disgust. "Honestly, Foaly, couldn't you provide your business partner with higher quality cuisine?" he complained. "I'm starving, and this is all you can provide me with?"

"First of all, I didn't provide you with anything. You raided my refrigerator and that was all you could find, but that didn't stop you from helping yourself. Second of all, we are not business partners, at least not yet. Artemis and I are still working on the logistics of your idea. I can't guarantee it will actually work."

Mulch sighed dramatically. "You and Artemis have been working on this for days. I'm telling you, my idea is flawless. Just start designing so I can provide you with my contribution."

"It's not flawless, Mulch. It has more flaws than a dwarf's logic. And if you think I can just pick up some tools and start inventing, you obviously have no idea what my job actually entails. There's a lot of planning that goes into an initial prototype. Which is why I'm so fortunate to have Artemis to help me, because the two of us are really speeding things along. Right, Artemis?"

Artemis didn't respond. Mulch looked over at him and saw the teen slouched in his seat, a hand on his stomach. "You okay, Mud Boy?" he asked, prodding him with his carrot.

Foaly took notice as well. "Artemis? Is something wrong? You look really pale, paler than usual."

"I'm fine," Artemis grunted. "I just have some…cramps, or something. Carry on."

Foaly shook his head. "I don't think I should. You look terrible. I should call Holly and have her take you to the clinic."

"I told you, I'm fine. I'm sure this will pass," Artemis said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not going to take any chances. If something happened to you on my watch and I didn't do anything about it, Holly would never speak to me again. Better safe than sorry."

A fretful Holly appeared several minutes later and forcibly dragged Artemis to the clinic. Artemis explained to Dr. Blazel that the cramps (or whatever) were probably not serious and that everyone was overreacting.

After a thorough examination and vigorous testing, Dr. Blazel informed him gravely, "Your friends were not overreacting and were right to send you over. The amniotic sac will no longer expand to meet the baby's growth. In fact, it seems to be shrinking. The cramping feelings you've been experiencing are due to the baby's movements that can no longer be accommodated by the sac."

"Do you know what caused this?" Holly asked, too worried to rub it in Artemis's face that she and Foaly were right and he was wrong.

"My guess is that the magic that was used to form and maintain the sac wasn't strong enough to last any longer. It was nothing you did or didn't do; just one of those uncontrollable factors. And, unfortunately, there isn't anything we can do to try to combat this. Instead, I recommend we set Artemis up in a ward here and keep him under strict watch. I'd like to postpone performing an emergency cesarean as long as we can to give the baby as much time to finish developing as possible. By keeping a close eye on him, we'll be able to notice any changes in his condition and will be able to operate immediately. You'll probably be in a lot of pain, Artemis, because the cramps will most likely increase in intensity the smaller the sac becomes, but we can give you medication to help make you a little more comfortable."

Holly rubbed her forehead. "Okay, okay. We can do this. We can get through this. Artemis?"

"Don't worry about me, Holly," Artemis said calmly, though inside he was sick with fear. "Everything will be fine. But you should probably call my parents and tell them what is happening."

"D'Arvit," Holly said. "Your mother will probably have a panic attack."

"Just try to tone it down, so they don't worry so much."

Holly nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

Artemis squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for a particularly painful cramp to pass. "Thank you," he said.

Dr. Blazel helped him to his feet. "Let's get you set up in your room. Holly, I will contact you when he's settled."

"Thank you, Doctor."

**Two Weeks Later**

Screaming from Ward 3. Dr. Blazel's heart skipped a beat. The only person in Ward 3 was…

He dropped his clipboard, hearing it clatter to the tiled floor behind him as he ran down the hall, pushing past nurses and technicians. "Artemis," he gasped when he reached Room 307.

The boy was covered in sweat, pieces of his raven hair stuck to his forehead. His face was bright red. His left hand clutched at his stomach as his right hand clung to the bed rail so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Artemis, I need you to talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. I can't help you unless I know…"

Artemis let out another animalistic roar, gripping the rail tighter. "I… think… she's…" He heaved, desperate for breath. "She's… trying… to get… out…"

"D'Arvit, D'Arvit, D'Arvit!" Dr. Blazel swore unprofessionally. "The baby is trying to go through natural birth. I was afraid the shrinkage of the amniotic sac might trigger something like this…" He reached for his communicator and started barking orders into it, but Artemis found himself incapable of understanding. All he could focus on was the pain, until even that became too much and everything went black.

**Police Plaza**

Foaly watched the color drain from Holly's face as she listened to the call. "It's Artemis," she said. "The baby… They're taking him back for an emergency C-section right now."

"Go," Foaly told her. But she was already halfway out the door.

Holly burst through the door to the clinic. A nurse escorted her to a waiting area. "Dr. Blazel is in surgery right now. The demon warlock, No. 1 is also with him. Artemis is in the best hands possible."

"I want to see him," Holly demanded. "I want to see Artemis. I need him to know I'm here."

"I believe he is unconscious, Captain," the nurse said politely.

"I don't care. I want to see him."

"I'm afraid that's not possible…"

Holly pointed to the door to the surgical room. "I am going in there, and you are not going to stop me. You can go and call security or whatever it is powerless nurses like you do, but I have years of police training and can undoubtedly take down whoever you send to try to subdue me." With that, Holly started for the door.

"Wait," the nurse said. Holly turned, fury blazing in her eyes. "You can't go in wearing that." She pointed to Holly's uniform. "It's not sterile. Let me get you a medical gown."

Dressed in a way Holly could only describe as "surgically," she pushed open the door. Several doctors and technicians stood over the operating table, blocking her view of Artemis. No. 1 stood off to the side and caught her eye. He made his way over to her.

"I didn't know you were allowed in here," he said.

"I'm not," Holly replied. "But let's just say the nurse who tried to stop me was persuaded by my charming personality to let me in. How is he?"

No. 1 shrugged. "I don't really know. Too much medical jargon. I don't understand anything. I'm just on stand-by in case they need a blast of magic to help the process, as you requested."

Dr. Blazel looked up from his work and spotted Holly speaking with the demon. He waved her over. "I figured you might get in here. I hope you didn't injure anyone along the way."

"Just threatened to."

Dr. Blazel let out a snort. "Well, you can stay, as long as you're out of the way."

Holly peered through a gap between doctors and caught a glimpse of Artemis. He looked so frail, so weak, so… lifeless. A sick feeling filled her stomach and she wished she hadn't looked. She stepped back, allowing the doctors space to work.

No. 1 patted her arm. "He'll be okay," he whispered. "He's got the best medical team in Haven, not to mention the most powerful demon warlock under this earth, not to toot my own horn or anything."

Holly knew No. 1 was trying to distract her, so she let him. Anything to distance herself from the scene before her.

Holly didn't know how much time had passed – minutes or hours – when the room erupted in a volcano of chaos, lava spilling over and burning her flesh, rubble piling on top of her and burying her alive.

"Flat lining…"

"We're losing him."

"The baby…"

"Still time…"

"Are you sure?"

"No."

"Too much for him."

"He's in shock."

"She's almost out."

"Not enough time to save them both."

"If we just…"

"Won't work."

"Too late."

"Maybe magic…"

"Get the demon."

No. 1 was whisked from Holly's side and thrown into the melee. Holly ran over, but several doctors formed a barricade, blocking her path.

"Artemis!" she shrieked. "Artemis!"

Dr. Blazel mumbled something to the doctor next to him, a nervous-looking sprite whose wings were fluttering anxiously. The sprite nodded and approached Holly slowly, as one might a wild animal. The elf was still screaming and had now started pounding at the limbs of the doctors, desperate to get to Artemis.

The sprite took out a syringe and plunged it into Holly's neck. She felt the warmth of the sedative course through her veins, but she fought it.

"Artemis," she said weakly as she was dragged from the room. "Artemis, don't leave me… Don't… die…" Then the drugs forced her eyes shut and she sunk into a pit of darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

Holly jolted awake in a hospital bed and was at first confused as to how she got there. Then she remembered: The surgery. The chaos. Artemis… Mireille...

She scrambled around her bed area until she found her emergency call button and pressed it repeatedly. She was surprised it was Dr. Blazel who came. His frazzled appearance made him look decades older. His hair stuck up in spots and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in days. Maybe he hadn't. How long had she been here? And was she the only one left?

Holly was afraid to ask, but Dr. Blazel answered her unasked question. "They both made it. By some miracle, they're both alive and well."

Holly cried out in relief, letting her tears flow freely as she wept. "But Artemis… I thought Artemis died."

"He did," Dr. Blazel said. "His body went into shock, and his heart stopped. Thank the gods we had No. 1 there. He probably couldn't have been revived without him. That was a very wise move on your part, Holly. That demon warlock is something else. And baby Mireille is responding quite well. She's with Artemis right now. If you're up to it, I can take you to them."

Holly's limbs felt shaky, like they weren't quite sure they could handle her weight, but still she stumbled after the doctor, desperate for the chance to see Artemis and the baby.

He led Holly to Artemis's room and left them alone, closing the door gently behind him. Holly made her way to Artemis's bedside. What should she say? What do you say to someone who just came back from the dead? How do you express how relieved you are to see that person alive?

She decided her best bet was to attempt some humor. "I've seen you in pretty bad shape before, Mud Boy, but this takes the cake," she said, hoping Artemis didn't hear her voice crack.

Artemis let out a short laugh. "You would look this bad, too, if you'd been through what I just went through." He looked down at the bundle in his arms. "But it was worth it."

Holly took her first look at their daughter and started to cry again. "I thought I lost you," she whispered. "Both of you."

"I know," Artemis said softly. "But you didn't." He held Mireille out to the elf. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Of course!"

Artemis settled back as mother and daughter were united, smiling at how Holly's face lit up at the tiny being she held in her arms.

"I can't believe it," Holly said. "I never thought we'd see this day."

"I didn't either," Artemis admitted. "After they revived me, I didn't even know I was still alive. All I remembered was pain, and then nothing. I thought that was the end, and that the people in white around me were… angels, or something, come to guide me to the afterlife. Juvenile of me to think, I know. I mean, I never spent much time on theories about what happens after death, but isn't that what some people believe? So I asked them if Mireille was coming with us, but I couldn't hear their answer. I was so worried, because I didn't know if I needed to wait for her or if she was with you. But most of all, I was scared to do anything, because I didn't want to leave you. I was afraid that if I moved, I would be swept away to some great beyond, never to see you again.

"I must have fallen unconscious again, because the next thing I remember was waking up once more, and I saw Mireille in Dr. Blazel's arms as he held her out to me. Then I knew: we had both made it, by some act of God or fate or magic or just pure luck."

"I was so scared, Artemis," Holly whispered, not tearing her eyes from their daughter's face. "I was there, in the operating room, and I could only hear bits and pieces of what the doctors were saying. But what I did know is that you had died. Everything was so chaotic, but I screamed for you, hoping you could hear me and pull yourself out of the abyss of death. Then they sedated me and took me out of the room, and as I sunk into unconsciousness, I thought that I'd seen you for the last time." The tears of joy from the sight of Mireille had dried and now became tears of anguish as she recalled those moments. "And in that instant, I wished that I was dead, too."

Artemis said nothing, allowing Holly to lament. Finally, he spoke.

"But we made it. All of us are together as a… a family." It was a strange thought, grouping Holly and himself into such a category. They started out as enemies, then became reluctant allies, and eventually friends. Close friends. Best friends. Now they were a family.

"I think we should make No. 1 her godfather," he said, inclining his head toward Mireille. "After all, without him, neither she nor I would be here. I owe him my life, and there is nothing I can do to repay him for that."

"I don't know, I think Mulch had his heart set on that position," Holly joked. Artemis laughed.

"I bet he did."

"Oh yes. He fought for that privilege. He said it was the least we could do, seeing as he's saved our lives countless times and never even received a medal. Then he whined about that medallion you gave him that wasn't even real gold and was just your way around the mind wipe. He still hasn't forgiven you for that. He was convinced you were going to set him up with a hearty reward for his efforts."

They both laughed.

"It really is amazing," Artemis said after a while.

Holly looked up. "What is?"

"This." He waved his hand at the two of them and the baby. "Her. That through a simple biological act, we made a miracle, literally and figuratively."

"Biological _and_ magical," Holly said. "After all, without magic, none of this would have been possible."

"Biological _and_ magical," Artemis amended, shaking his head in wonder.

Holly held Mireille back out to him, and Artemis lifted his arms to receive her, holding her tight against his chest. He felt Holly's arms snake around the two of them as they became a single unit.

A unit joined through biology and magic.


End file.
